Prime Minister's Office
English rendering of PM’s address at inauguration of the Saryu Nahar National Project in Balrampur, Uttar Pradesh
Bharat Mata ki Jai! Bharat Mata ki Jai! Bharat Mata ki Jai!
I salute this holy land many times. Today, I got an opportunity to visit the holy land of Adi Shakti Maa Pateshwari and Balrampur, popularly known as mini Kashi. I have been blessed a lot by you.
UP Governor Smt. Anandi Ben, UP's energetic, hardworking, popular Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ji, Deputy Chief Minister Shri Keshav Prasad Maurya ji, Union Ministers Gajendra Singh Shekhawat ji and Kaushal Kishore ji, Ministers in the state government Mahendra Singh ji, Ramapati Shastri ji, Mukut Bihari Verma ji, Brajesh Pathak ji, Ashutosh Tandon ji, Baldev Olakh ji and Shri Paltu Ram ji, all my fellow parliamentarians present on the stage, all respected MLAs, members of district panchayats, and my dear brothers and sisters! This land of revolutionaries has made an invaluable contribution to the freedom struggle of the country. The mighty ones like Raja Devi Baksh Singh, Raja Krishna Dutt Ram and Prithvi Pal Singh left no stone unturned to take on the British rule. Whenever there is reference to the grand temple of Lord Shri Rama being built in Ayodhya, the contribution of Maharaja Pateshwari Prasad Singh of Balrampur princely state will definitely be mentioned. The people of Balrampur are really geniuses that they gave two Bharat Ratna in the form of Nanaji Deshmukh and Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Friends,
Today, from this land of creators and defenders of nation, I also pay tribute to all the brave warriors of the country who died in the helicopter crash on 8th December. The demise of India's first Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat ji, is a great loss for every Indian, for every patriot. The country has been a witness to the hard work that General Bipin Rawat ji was doing to make the country's armed forces self-reliant. A soldier is not a soldier only as long as he is in the army. His entire life is like a warrior and he is devoted to discipline, honor and glory of the country all the time. It is said in the Gita – नैनं छिन्दन्ति शस्त्राणि नैनं दहति पावक: i.e., Weapons cannot shred the soul, nor can fire burn it. General Bipin Rawat will see his India move forward with new resolutions in the days to come. The work of strengthening border security and border infrastructure, the campaign to make the country's armies self-reliant and strengthen coordination among the three armed forces will continue to progress rapidly. India is mourning but despite being in pain neither do we stop our pace nor our development. India won’t stop; India won’t be at a standstill. Together we Indians will work hard and face every challenge inside and outside the country. We will make India more powerful and prosperous.
Friends,
Doctors are working hard to save the life of Group Captain Varun Singh, the son of UP and a resident of Deoria. I pray to Maa Pateshwari for his life. The nation stands with the family of Varun Singh ji and all those brave soldiers who we lost.
Brothers and sisters,
Keeping the spirit of nation first, the country is doing everything which will take us to new heights in the 21st century. It is also very important for the development of the country that the scarcity of water should never become a hindrance. Therefore, it is one of the top priorities of the government that the water of the rivers is utilized properly and sufficient water reaches the farmers' fields. The completion of the Saryu Canal National Project is a proof that when intention is honest, the work is also potent. You were waiting for its completion for decades. The water potential of Ghaghra, Saryu, Rapti, Banganga and Rohini will bring a new era of prosperity in this region. Along with Balrampur, I congratulate millions of my farmer brothers and sisters of Bahraich, Gonda, Shravasti, Siddharthnagar, Basti, Gorakhpur, Maharajganj and Kushinagar. This will resolve the problems in the region during the rainy season. My dear brothers and sisters, history is a witness that if someone offers a cup of water to a thirsty person, he never forgets that debt and that person throughout his life. I am sure when the parched fields of millions of farmers will get water your blessings will give us new energy to work for you.
Brothers and sisters,
This irrigation facility is life changing especially for those farmers who have less than two hectares of land. It is akin to a person on death bed and in need of blood and as soon as the doctor gives blood to him, he is saved. The farms of this entire region are going to get such a new life.
Friends,
The lentils of Balrampur are sought-after in the country. Along with the traditional crops, the farmers of these areas will now be able to cultivate other crops that are high paying.
Friends,
I have had the privilege of working in public life for a long time. I have seen so many governments in the past and their style of work. What has hurt me the most is the misuse and insult of the country’s money, time and resources for a long period? Why should I bother as it is government money? This perception has become the biggest obstacle in the balanced and all-round development of the country. It is because of this perception that the Saryu canal project was delayed for so long. The work on it began 50 years ago. And imagine that it is being completed after 50 years. All those who wish for their bright future need to understand this.
Friends,
The estimated cost of this project was less than 100 crore rupees and it has been completed after spending 10,000 crore rupees. What should have been done in 100 crore rupees has taken 10,000 crore rupees. Was it not your money, my brothers? Should not every rupee of your hard work have been used for the right work at the right time? Are those who didn't do this your culprits or not? Will you punish such people or not? You will!
My dear brothers and sisters,
This country has paid 100 times more for the negligence of the earlier governments. Would lakhs of farmers of the region harvested gold or not if this irrigation water reached them 20-30 years ago? Would they fill the country's treasury or not! Could they not take care of their children's education in a much better way? My farmer brothers and sisters have also suffered a loss of trillions of rupees due to decades-old delay.
Well friends,
When I left Delhi today, I was wondering somebody would claim that he had started this project. Some people have this habit. No wonder, he would have announced this project by cutting the ribbon in his childhood!
Friends,
The priority of some people is to cut the ribbons whereas our priority is to complete the projects on time. When I formed the government in 2014, I was surprised that there were 99 big irrigation projects across the country which remained incomplete for decades. We found that the canals were not connected with each other at many places in the Saryu canal project and there was no system to carry the water to the end. We have done more work in Saryu canal project in just five years than what was done in five decades. Friends, this is all about the double engine government and the speed of work. You can recall that we inaugurated the Bansagar project after Yogi ji’s government was formed. Just a few days ago, the Arjuna Sahayak Canal Project was inaugurated. The fertilizer factory and AIIMS which were inaugurated in Gorakhpur this week were also waiting for years. The Kushinagar International Airport was also in files for many years. This double engine government has started the work on this airport as well.
Friends,
The Ken-Betwa link project is another example of how our government is fulfilling the age-old dreams. There was a demand for this project for years. Just two-three days back, the cabinet has approved this project and Rs 45,000 crore will be spent on it. Uttar Pradesh is getting such a huge gift. This project will play a crucial role in ending the water crisis of Bundelkhand.
Brothers and sisters,
Today, there is a government in the country for the first time which is taking care of small farmers after independence. For the first time, small farmers with less than two hectares of land have been linked with government benefits and facilities. They are being helped in every way from providing seeds to marketing their produce. Thousands of crore rupees are being sent directly to the bank accounts of these small farmers under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme. They are also being encouraged to other farming options for an increase in their income. They are being offered alternatives which do not require large land. Keeping this in mind, many schemes have been launched at the national level, be it animal husbandry, bee keeping or fish farming. Today India is leading the world in terms of milk production, but you will be happy to know that today we are also making our place in the world as a honey exporter. Due to the efforts of our government, the export of honey has almost doubled in the last seven years and farmers have earned more than 700 crore rupees.
Brothers and sisters,
Biofuel is also another option to increase the income of the farmers. From the Gulf oil, we are now shifting to bio-fuel from crops. Many bio-fuel factories are being set up in UP. Large bio-fuel complexes are being built in Badaun and Gorakhpur. A big ethanol plant is also coming up in nearby Gonda. This will benefit many farmers of this region. UP is also leading in the campaign to make ethanol from sugarcane. In the last four-and-a-half years, ethanol worth about Rs 12,000 crore has been purchased from UP. The payment of sugarcane has picked up ever since Yogi ji's government was formed. There was a time before 2017 when sugarcane farmers used to wait for years to get their dues. During the previous governments, more than 20 sugar mills were closed down and Yogi ji's government has expanded and modernized the same number of sugar mills. I would also like to extend a special invitation today to farmers across the country from Balrampur. I would like farmers from all over the country and not just from Uttar Pradesh, to accept my invitation and join me. What is my invitation for? After five days on 16th December, the government is organizing a mega event on natural farming. Our Padma awardee Subhash ji, who is from Maharashtra, has developed an idea of zero budget farming. This is a natural farming project, due to which our mother earth and water is also saved and the crop is also good and the yield is better in quantity. I urge all my farmer friends all over the country to join this program on December 16 through TV or through Krishi Vigyan Kendra. I am sure you will come to know many things which you can implement in your farms and which will be very beneficial to you.
Friends,
Keeping in mind your every need, we are working day and night to make your life easy. You will also get a glimpse of it in the pucca house for the poor being built under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. The houses under the PM Awas Yojana have ‘Izzat Ghar’ or toilets, gas under the Ujjwala scheme, electricity connection under the Saubhagya Yojana, LED bulbs under the Ujala scheme and water connection under the Har Ghar Jal Yojana. When the brothers and sisters of Tharu tribe here get the benefits of these schemes, it gives me immense happiness and we get more of their blessings
Friends,
My mothers and sisters must understand my point and I request my brothers to tell this in their family that there is an age-old custom in our country that whether it is a house, shop, car, or a farm, it will be in the name of the male member. There is nothing for women. I know this pain and what did we do for our mothers and sisters? We have given the ownership rights of most of the houses being built under the PM Awas Yojana to our mothers, sisters and daughters. As a result, there has been a huge increase in the number of such sisters who have at least one property in their name. More than 30 lakh poor families of UP have got pucca houses due to the efforts of the double engine government. Our government has made a provision of more than Rs 2 lakh crore for constructing new houses in future. Those who have not yet got a pucca house will definitely get it soon.
Friends,
When the government is sensitive, listens to the poor, understands their plight, then the difference is visible. Right now the country is fighting the biggest pandemic in a hundred years. Everyone was wondering what would happen, how would happen when Corona struck. Everyone suffered due to Corona in some way or the other.
But friends, we tried sincerely during this Corona period that no poor should sleep hungry. Therefore, the campaign for free ration under the PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana has been extended beyond Holi. The government is spending more than Rs 2.60 lakh crore on the free ration for the poor.
Brothers and sisters,
All of you are well aware that the earlier governments used to protect the mafia. Today Yogi ji's government is busy cleaning up the mafia. That's why the people of UP say - the difference is obvious. Those who were in the government earlier would encourage ‘Bahubalis’. Today Yogi ji's government is engaged in empowering the poor, downtrodden, backward and tribal communities. That's why the people of UP say - the difference is obvious. Those who were in the government earlier would grab land illegally. Today such mafia people are being fined and bulldozed. That's why the people of UP say - the difference is obvious. Earlier the daughters of UP were forced to think 100 times before leaving the house. Today a criminal thinks 100 times before committing any wrong. That's why the people of UP say - the difference is obvious. Earlier the daughters were forced to lie low in the house, now the criminals of UP lurk in the jail. That's why they say: The difference is obvious.
Friends,
Today I would certainly like to mention another scheme which is going to help the people of UP a lot and which is Swamitva Yojana. Under the Swamitva scheme, the ownership papers of the houses and farms are being given to the people after mapping the property in villages. This campaign is soon going to cover every village of UP. This will free you from the fear of illegal occupation and will also make it easier for you to seek loan from banks. Now the youth of the villages will not face any problem in raising money for their enterprise from the bank.
Friends,
Together we have to take Uttar Pradesh to new heights and give it a new identity. You have to remain guard against the people who pushed Uttar Pradesh back by several decades. Brothers and sisters, once again I congratulate all of you very much for the Saryu canal project. Speak with me with full force by raising your hands: Bharat Mata ki – Jai! Bharat Mata ki – Jai! Bharat Mata ki – Jai!
Thanks a lot!
DISCLAIMER: This is the approximate translation of PM’s speech. Original speech was delivered in Hindi.